Checkmate
by CrazyEnough
Summary: Somewhere lies perfection, but not for you and I. [AU]
1. We Wear Masks

_There are reasons you keep your hands tied_

_There are certain things you shouldn't have tried_

_So if you have to tell me something_

_You better go from the beginning. _

_-Lights; Everybody Breaks A Glass_

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:. Chapter 1 .:

We Wear Masks

Ever so bright, the young Annie Leondhart, she'll make it places one day because of her ambition, her perseverance that her father had raised her on as if those where the only qualities that mattered in a person. He'd instruct her on who to trust, and who not to trust. Evidently, he instructed her not to trust anyone, not even herself because sometimes the brain will tell lies to the heart and the gut will hold a knife to the brain's back. When she'd come home with bruises littering her too small body, and tears edging the corner of her crystalline eyes he'd trained her in the famed martial arts that ran through their family for ages upon ages, until finally she found herself with no fear for those around her, but quite a few angry teachers and parents.

When Annie found herself troubled by schoolwork at such a young age, he'd pulled her away from that life, taught her what he knew to be important in life. When Annie asked about her mother, he just shook his head with a sad frown and she'd wait another couple months to ask again, when she would find herself doubting her father's methods he'd bring her back around, remind her that he was the only one she could look to, there was no one else, there would never be anyone else. Until her doubts pulled her into a drowning abyss and she found her father tumbling down, down, down those stairs.

Ever so bright, the young Annie Leondhart, if it wasn't for her crazy father maybe she'd had made something of herself, gone places with all that ambition and perseverance. Medication was the key, they had said, to survival. Her father would never see her again, even when he had apologized, even after he had promised he'd return, the doctors said late at night when they thought she couldn't hear, but oh did she hear, that the scar she bore would be a reminder of the horrors she'd endured, the pain and the trauma. But how was she to believe that the man she so loved, who taught her how to deal with her worst enemy [He said it was the world, the world was her worst enemy] was a monster?

Five years in an institute, three years in a crowded home and then the lady with the honeysuckle hair and doe eyes arrived, the lady with the pristine grey suit and the clipboard that held all of Annie's _past, present, _and _pre-determined future _written in perfect little scrawl arrived. She had good news depending on who was listening, after this long Annie was finally deemed healthy to be reentered into society with the proper measures. She would be admitted into a foster family and a high school to finish her last three years so she could graduate from a public school system. She would, of course remain on medication as was recommended by Miss. Ral herself, who surprisingly of all Annie's workers she hated the least.

Unlike all the therapists, and support workers she'd received over the years that lied about understanding her, Miss. Ral told Annie flat out that she wasn't able to see into Annie's mind and figure how she worked, she wasn't able to tell Annie what the right path for her was. All she said was all Annie needed to be reassured of this woman's part in her life.

_"I am not a worker, nor a therapist. I am here to advise, it's up to you if you take that advisement seriously or not." _

Miss. Ral helped Annie prepare for school, to prepare for living in a small family situation again, she prepared her to be reinstated in society as a valuable member and though Annie knew it was all bullshit, that she really had no control over her life until she turned the ripe age of eighteen in the next three years, she knew Miss. Ral was just trying to get Annie through these next few years, so that when Annie came of age maybe, just _maybe _she could be saved.

Then Annie wondered _pondered _even how many other troubled children had Miss. Ral worked with and lost to suicide, or drugs, or any other number of things? What made her any different?

_"Nothing makes you different Annie, unless you show me otherwise." _

Then, Annie continued to wonder and ponder about how her life would be outside of these walls.

_"At first, overwhelming and confusing is the most usual response. Are you sure you're ready for this commitment Annie? Your past is your past, and it's up to you who you want to let in. But along the way there will be some people who you will want to confide in, you just have to remember the repercussions of allowing others in, and pushing some away." _

_ "Don't worry about me Miss. Ral, everyone wears masks and I am no exception."_

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**_A/N: So most of you have probably noticed the chapters are almost nothing like the one's I'd originally posted, just so you all know this story has the same basis just with a different approach. It's still a High School AU, still AruAnnie, and still pretty much the same as the other story just a different past for Annie then I'd originally planned. And worded a lot better too. _**

**_Enjoy! :)_**


	2. She's Lovely

_Based on my experience_

_The Easier the thought is to say_

_The less meaning it has_

_-Jerico_

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:. Chapter 2 .:

She's Lovely

_In this forest I can picture the seasons pass by, as I look to the old oak with gnarled roots and bent branches, during the fall the leaves will change to brilliant gold, rustic orange, blood red and shady yellow until they fall ever so slowly to the ground, drifting as they die on their way down and then winter approaches, deathly silent in it's decent, the twisted branches are bare, and the forest creatures are silent in its wake, but what is lovely cannot always remain as the forest bursts back to life, rain pours down over the oak I can now see budding with new leaves, the flowers sprouting from between the dead leaves, and as summer arrives with its hot summer days, and normally stormy nights all is beautiful, all is well. _

_ In this forest, I can also see my nightmares flourish in front of my eyes. The creatures in my dreams that rip me to shreds as I choke on my own blood, the clawed animals that force the silent screams from my throat, I can see the splatter of blood hit the twig covered ground, my blood, their blood, it doesn't matter because the smell is all that is evident. I can see these horrors inside this forest because anything beautiful can be sinister in the dead of night. _

_ But as well, I can see my wildest dreams come true as the little elves I read about it the books from my father's library hobble through the forest, jumping over roots and gathering up twigs to build their little homes, I can hear the clopping of hooves as the unicorns from those fairytales that my father always told me to never read make their way into the beautiful meadow that claimed as their own, the happy endings I had so hoped for in the days and nights I was trapped inside the institute, but never came I can see them in the sun spots that filter in through the leaves of this forest. _

_ The silence is beautiful, and the breath I didn't know I was holding let out in a big rush of air. Suddenly the forest burst to life with the sounds of small animals scurrying, and my father's dog howling and barking as he chased a squirrel that had climbed up a tree, this was the forest I'd grown up in, this was the forest I took my daily jogs through, this was the forest by my home, in a small village just outside of Maria in East Holland, this was all that I needed to know, all that I ever needed to know. _

"Annie, dear it's time for you to wake up!" Normally, waking up to a person pushing on her shoulder –albeit gently, Annie probably would've woken straight away before proceeding to restrain said person. She normally didn't sleep well, and when she had lived in the institute she always had to be alert, because some of those girls where absolutely _crazy. _But the dream was too wonderful, _too real _and Annie just didn't want to open her eyes.

But when she did, there sitting right above her was Mrs. Fubar. A sweet woman, but she had absolutely no respect for personal space, or tact for that matter. Annie groaned, throwing the blankets off her body before rolling out of bed, hair a mess, breath smelling horrible, she was a real sight in the morning.

Mrs. Fubar smiled at Annie, patting her on the shoulder in her sign of affection before informing her that breakfast was ready and she'd meet her downstairs. She had no intention of eating breakfast, or going down stairs but then again it wasn't like it was her choice. The three rules Miss. Ral had given to her to remain out of the crowded home was

No running away.

Go to school.

Don't get arrested.

Honestly Annie had never run away in her life, nor has she gotten arrested but school… It was a difficult rule seeming she didn't much like people, or socializing and that was the basis of High School. Well, at least from what Annie had gathered in books and movies. She'd never been to school since grade three, when her father had pulled her out.

After contemplating it for a moment or two, Annie grabbed the blue hoodie that Miss. Ral had picked up for her a couple months ago after telling her the color matched her eyes, and a pair of blue jeans. She pulled her blond hair into a messy bun because honestly what was the point in dressing up for _school? _

When she hit the bottom step of the stairway, Reiner –another foster kid who had a serious attitude problem, plus an ego the size of America, or the equivalent to the _people _of America more like, came storming past me. Behind him, Mrs. Fubar's eldest son Bertholdt went chasing after him.

"C'mon Reiner, it's not like I meant to do it!" He whined. These two where currently the bane of Annie's existence, Reiner had some sort of tragic backstory that was impossible to dig up unless you were Bertholdt, who'd been Reiner's foster brother since they both where 12, and pissed Annie off every chance he got, and Bertholdt was a sweaty nervous wreck that was hardly able to speak without stuttering.

Okay, so maybe that wasn't so true. Reiner was an ass, granted he had his moments and Bertholdt was incredibly sweaty and nervous, but he didn't stutter unless Annie or Reiner where mad at him for something. Which since Annie had only been here three weeks, she'd managed to piss of Reiner a total of many times and scared Bertholdt to a quivering mess more than half of that.

When she arrived at the breakfast table, Bertholdt was apologizing profusely to Reiner about deflating their only basketball –the two, according to Mrs. Fubar where both on the Trost Secondary Senior basketball team, they called themselves the wings of freedom. She found it stupid and boring but she never really said this out loud, in fact she hardly voiced any of her opinions. Reiner got too defensive, Bertholdt got too offended and Mrs. Fubar might just end up crying so Annie resorted to storing her sarcastic comments in her head, playing them over and over just to amuse herself so she wouldn't end up strangling the dick out of Reiner, or the slapping the shy out of Bertholdt.

As if tall, blond and stupid read her mind Reiner slapped Bertholdt across the cheek with a waffle, causing Mrs. Fubar to give the larger boy a stern look. He smiled impishly, setting the waffle back on his plate and winking at Bertholdt.

"Whatever Bert, don't sweat it" and Annie found Bertholdt pouting, because no matter the situation Reiner could always fit in a snide comment, or ridiculous pun. Annie just snorted into her milk, shaking her head slightly.

"What's that, Leondhart?" Reiner challenged, again another look from Mrs. Fubar was returned with a sly smile and silence.

"Just so you know Annie, Trost is a very good high school. The first day can always be the hardest, but you'll do just fine dear. " Annie chose not to answer, she just nodded and prodded at her waffle with a fork. If she was being honest, she wasn't nervous in the least. She actually felt completely uninterested in the whole ordeal; she needed to get good grades and graduate, which she didn't think would be too hard. She was raised alone; she could spend another three years alone and not think much of it.

"Unless Kirschtein takes an interest in you, then you're screwed."

"I thought Jean had a thing for Mikasa?"

"Bert, Jean has a thing for any pretty girl."

"Gee, thanks Reiner didn't know you thought of me in such a way." Though it came to a complete surprise to her that Reiner would say such a thing, and so out of character Annie saw the opportunity and jumped on it. His normally pale cheeks tinted pink, and she chalked this one up to victory for herself.

"That's not what I meant, Annie you're such a-"

"Alright, alright you three it's about time we get you to school." Annie watched as both Reiner and Bertholdt grabbed their unfinished waffles off their plates and grabbed their bags off the back of their chairs before heading to the front door. It was strange for Annie, living in a house again, having only a few other people around her and having someone who acted as a mother figure was a completely foreign concept to her, she had no clue how to respond to Mrs. Fubar half the time. Miss. Ral was easy, she was a worker and so Annie treated her like absolute crap like all the rest, but Mrs. Fubar had chosen to take _her_ under her wing and help her escape from the hellhole she'd grown up in, was she to thank her? Or should she do more?

Annie didn't really know, but all that came to mind was so uncharacteristic of her she couldn't really say a thing when she handed Annie her own bag, with her name stitched across it in bright yellow, In fact Annie couldn't even think of a way to express her gratitude that was hard to come by when she dropped them all off at the school, waving good bye and hugging Annie, reassuring her that all would be okay before proceeding to point out all the teachers on her class list and what they were like.

Yet, when she walked through the front doors of Trost Secondary, Annie suddenly found herself contemplating murder rather than a thank you letter. There were so many people, yelling and giggling and talking and just being _there, _she saw no familiar faces from around town and the two idiots who were supposed to show her to the main office to receive a map of the school ditched, which wasn't surprising but she should have at least asked Mrs. Fubar where it was if she had of been smart.

Annie took in a breath, clenching her fists by her side as she tried not to remember the crowded home, tried not to remember all those loud people at the institute. These people, how where they any different? They laughed as they did, screamed and yelled as they did, they were all just _horrifying _and _fake _just like they were, and where the _hell _was the main office?

"Hi, you must be new?" The voice was small, drowned out by the sea of people around her. Annie had almost brushed it off as her imagination before she felt a hand on her shoulder. Annie's first reaction was to turn around and flip the moron on their ass, but she knew she wasn't allowed to because fights at school led to suspension or possible expulsion, which also then meant she could not continue attending school which broke one of Miss. Ral's rules, and then she'd win herself a one way ticket back to hell.

So she just turned on her heel, having to look up to see who was speaking to her. He had a baby face, too childish to be natural and just below ear length, too blond hair –though, you could say the same for hers. His eyes where blue, not chipped and not bright but a deep blue that reminded Annie of the color of the sky reflecting off of water. He smiled at her, and as a natural reaction she didn't smile back.

"Excuse me?" Annie asked, because she still wasn't quite sure what he had said.

"I asked you if you were new." He said, raising his voice a little, she cocked a brow and shrugged his hand off her shoulder.

"I'm not deaf, by the way-" she began, and his face twitched slightly but the smile remained. Obviously he was also too cheery for his own good and it disturbed her to great lengths, how long was it a person could smile before it became creepy again? "-and yes, do you know where the main office is?"He may have been incredibly creepy, and seemed to have the same defect as Mrs. Fubar when it came to other people's personal space, but Annie wasn't stupid and she needed to get to her classes and he was practically offering her help.

"Sorry –and you're just in luck, I'm heading that way. Follow me!"

She had to practically run after him to catch up, it disturbed her how at ease he seemed to be in the throng of people. As someone brushed up against her, she jolted away, when someone walked straight at her she wanted nothing more than to hit them, but knowing full well she couldn't she had to side step them, holding their withering looks with her own threatening stare. When they lurched through the last surge of people, she came face to face with a large wooden door with a brass plaque adorning the words _**MAIN OFFICE. **_

Her relief was pretty evident, as she entered the office almost as soon as she came to it yet as she stepped over the threshold, she ran into something hard and jerked back in surprise. She had to once again incline her neck to lock gazes with stormy grey orbs, floppy brown hair and incisors to sharp to be real –Though, she'd read a book on people who sharpened them as a style, though stupid and pointless she supposed it wasn't impossible.

"Watch where you're going" The boy growled, and on instinct Annie narrowed her eyes before taking a threatening step forward.

"Eren, stop being so rude to new kids" The crude boy, who she assumed must be Eren turned to the baby-faced creep who'd helped her find her way here, a small smile crawling its way up his tanned features.

"Armin! Hey, what's with you and new students anyway?" The blond, who she now knew as Armin shrugged a shoulder, a small smirk curling the corner of his lips.

"I don't know, they're better then you all I suppose." Eren scoffed in amusement, but before he could continue Annie cut in.

"Talking over someone when they're standing _right here _is incredibly rude." She informed the duo, Armin had the tact to look ashamed but Eren spoke before Armin even had the chance.

"Yes, but you're like hobbit sized so I can look straight-" He turned himself sideways, looking straight over her head "-and I can't even see you." That was the last straw for her. Annie grabbed a fistful of Eren's shirt, pulling him down to her level.

"Mock my height again, and I'll put you through a fucking wall." Admittedly Annie had a height complex, being 5'1 at sixteen she always reacted violently when people reminded her of how small she was, _especially _when they did it in such a way that would piss anyone off. Eren gulped visibly, nodding his head in understanding before Annie let go of his shirt, letting him stand up straight once more. Maybe it was the tone of her voice, or the look she had given him but Annie surprisingly had managed to scare the shit out of this guy without even _proving _that she could floor him. Either that or he was just a wimp.

"Aha, sorry about that Eren doesn't really have a filter-" Armin apologized, and though Annie should have shrugged it off, water off her back because Armin had at least been decent to her she scoffed, not bothering to answer him properly before she made her way over to the front desk to get her map. She didn't know how, or why she'd ended up conversing with two people on her first day but she made a mental note not the let it happen again. If what Armin had said about there being others when he'd said _'you all,' _that the two where friends with, Annie had to tread carefully and not let them grab a hold of her and suck her in to their petty high school bullshit.

After all, with the way Armin kept glancing at her throughout the day [Gym _and _Science!] she had a feeling he wouldn't leave her be unless she got her message across clearly enough.

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_When Eren asked me what I thought of the new girl, I just told him what he wanted to hear, what they all wanted to hear. She seemed a little angry, and a tad bit mean. But as I watch her through the day, as I see how she is through eyes that aren't as clouded as others [because sometimes, we judge others without knowing] and suddenly I can see her._

_She's cold, I figured._

_The way she stands, she doesn't want you to approach her._

_The way she talks, she doesn't want you to talk to her._

_She's bitter, I see. _

_Because all she has are empty threats and angry comments._

_But there's hesitation, inside I find._

_Despite how ugly she may seem._

_She's absolutely Lovely. _


	3. I Deal First

_And I _

_Can't help but ask myself_

_How much I let the fear_

_Take the wheel and steer_

_-Incubus; Drive_

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:. Chapter 3 .:

I Deal First

"You're cheating, you're totally cheating!" Bertholdt shakily reached across the table, fisting a handful of peanuts from one of the snack bowls and shoving them in his mouth. He was already sweating like crazy and looked a little too nervous. Annie had already begun handing out two cards from the deck to each of them after shuffling, shrugging a shoulder at Reiner's rather loud accusation.

She slapped the remaining deck down, throwing a peanut in as her anti before directing a look to Bertholdt, clearly a sign of his call.

"Check." He mumbled under his breath, a good game of Texas hold 'em was all Annie needed to get back up on her feet after a week submerged in hell, especially since she was winning. Reiner and her both called check, and she deposited one card off the top to the burn pile before proceeding to lay three others flat up. She already had a pair, so she bet four more peanuts, Bertholdt folded and Reiner being Reiner threw in four with a string of profanity following after.

Cocking a brow, Annie burned and flipped, she still had a pair which was reason enough for her to throw in another four, Reiner followed suit and she flipped the last card. Reiner refused to bet anymore, and just to see Reiner hot and angry again Annie added in another two, in which Reiner matched and they both flipped their cards.

"Pair of queens" Annie mused, and almost on cue Reiner slammed his overly sized palms down on the table, causing Bertholdt to jump and grab another handful of peanuts.

"You're cheating!"

"It's a pair, Reiner. You had a perfectly good high card Jack, its best guess. Get over yourself."

"You're such a bitch!"

"Still got all the peanuts didn't I?" Annie collected the cards before handing the deck over to Reiner, and he snatched them away from her as if her touch might ignite the deck. Annie tossed in her anti before Reiner had even finished shuffling, but to the trio's surprise a knock on the door ceased Annie's anti-in, Reiner's dealing and Bertholdt's reach for the peanut bowl as all three looked to the front door.

"It's eight PM." Reiner muttered, cocking a brow and looking to the other two.

"Maybe mom forgot her keys again?" Bertholdt offered.

"She doesn't get off work until ten." Annie finished.

Casting a look to the two boys, only to find each with a finger placed on their nose. She hissed through gritted teeth, shaking her head in disbelief.

"Nose goes!" Reiner laughed, taking his finger off his nose and pointing it at Annie, another knock on the door sounded through the house. Standing up, she threw a peanut at the blond before proceeding to the front door, another knock this time it sounded more urgent.

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" She called, wondering what dumb ass architect decided it'd be a good idea to build a fucking mile long hallway to the door, when she finally got there she unbolted the lock and pulled it open only to come face to face with none other than Eren Jaeger.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" Was her instant response to seeing his stupid grinning face.

"It's poker night; Reiner and Bert always invite the whole basketball team over to play. We're sort of late-" At that mentioning, a lanky boy with two toned hair came shoving past both Annie and Eren and into the house, followed by a freckled brunette, shorter skin head, and surprisingly enough a girl with brown hair pulled back into a ponytail, and a bag of chips in hand. As she passed by Annie she held out the bag, as a response Annie just glared. She could hear Reiner and Bertholdt greeting the group as they each made their way into the kitchen, and fumed. They knew the basketball team would be showing up tonight, and most likely purposely neglected to tell her.

Assholes.

"The whole basketball team isn't much, is it?" Annie hissed through gritted teeth, and though she didn't want any of these people here _including _Eren, she had no say in the matter. She was only the foster kid, after all.

"It's not all of us, there are three others but they're never here. Wait, no sorry four where the hell did Armin run off to?" Eren called, walking in past Annie as he called down the hallway to the others making their way to the kitchen. Annie almost choked on her own scoff at his comment, slowly peeking outside into the darkness to see if anyone else was there. There was no one, and though she wondered if Eren was just screwing with her about Armin being here [seeming she'd been avoiding that boy like the plague since day one] she wasn't so sure.

Annie slowly shut the door, making her way back down the hallway and into the kitchen where every person that had come walking through the front door had now seated themselves at the table, including Eren who'd taken her seat. She scowled slightly, leaning against the door frame.

Bertholdt had handed over the deck to the boy with two toned hair, and everyone was now splitting the peanuts into piles. She watched as the boy with freckled counted his peanuts out slowly as if it mattered, the girl with the potato chips was eating hers and continually asking for more, while the skin head was trying to refuse her anymore, explaining that they didn't have enough to feed her, which earned him a smack upside the head from potato chip girl.

At that moment, she heard the front door open and close before footsteps came rushing down the hallway. Annie instantly moved from the kitchen doorframe to stand against the wall as Armin came into the kitchen, unzipping his jacket and flashing an apologetic smile. "Sorry I'm late, got held up at work."

"You're kidding, right?" The boy with two toned hair snorted "You work at a book store, Armin."

"Just because you don't read Jean, doesn't mean no one else does." And a collection of laughs chorused around the table as the two toned freak who Annie had pegged as Jean [was he the man whore? He seemed a big awkward for that title to be accurate] smirked slightly.

"Yeah, yeah let's just play. But we have an issue… there's a card missing from the deck?"

"What?" Reiner reached over and took the deck from Jean, shuffling through it. "What the hell-" Just as Armin had taken a seat beside Eren; Annie approached the group and slipped a card from her sleeve, holding it between her middle and index finger as she offered it to the table. Reiner went white, shaking his head.

"You _where _cheating." He muttered, and Annie had to suppress the urge to snort, because yes she was cheating and she _so _got away with it. Armin took the card from her fingers, surprisingly enough and took the deck that Reiner had laid in the middle of the table as he was counting all the peanuts Annie had cheated out from underneath of him, which she was certainly pay for this later on in the form of a petty prank.

"Queen of hearts, good choice" Armin stated simply, slipping the card back into the middle of the deck "Are you going to play with us?" At that, he looked up to Annie and she didn't bother returning his gaze.

"Probably not" She informed him, and she found embarrassingly enough that everyone was looking at her now.

"Yeah, c'mon the more people the better it is!" The boy with the freckles jeered, and Annie_ did_ find herself looking at him, and though she didn't mean to glare she was pretty sure that's what she was doing.

"She's not much of a people person Marco-" Reiner began "-she's socially inept." He added in a not so much whisper, and just to spite the big bastard Annie sat in the one empty chair between potato chip girl and Armin.

"I deal first." Annie stated simply, a cold underlining to her comment. Yet, when Armin passed her the deck she didn't find him doing it reluctantly nor at her request, she figured he was handing her the deck as if he was planning to all along.

Which, she guessed almost meant that he had expected her to join them all along. She didn't know if she was angry at being tricked into playing a larger than normal game of poker or pleased because Reiner looked like he'd swallowed poison ivy but either way, she found it enjoyable to an extent, mainly because she'd won but because she'd won with a challenge. Sasha, who was the girl with the potato chips, had to ask for other's peanuts because she kept eating hers, so Annie had hardly any clue the girl could _really _bluff, especially when it came to the skin head who's name had been revealed as Connie.

Connie had his own tactics as well, he enjoyed picking up full houses, and no one had any clue how he managed it. Marco, or as Annie referred to him as freckles had a knack for knowing when to fold so he managed to hold onto most his peanuts and pick up a few here and there along the way, Eren however was horrible at poker and Jean as well even though he pretended he was king shit, at one point he managed a royal flush but hadn't realized it. He had called high card Jack instead, and everyone had a pretty good laugh about that.

As Annie already knew Reiner hated losing though he did it often, and Bertholdt was a quiet collector of peanuts. Her last scrutiny was against Armin, and _he _was her real challenge.

Through the whole game, he had the exact same amount of peanuts Annie had, and though he didn't seem to notice Annie _knew _he was doing it on purpose. Sometimes he'd get one more or one less and vice versa but never did he ever fall below two or higher than two. In the end Annie had still won the whole game.

The whole situation bugged her as she lay in her bed at night though, thinking over the whole game once more. Everyone had their own tactics, but Armin did not. He played freely, what he did have however was a good knowledge towards everyone else's tactics as did Annie herself. She wondered, was their tactic the same? They both had a good idea of how everyone else played and played in unison with them, they were both good guessers she mused, and now that she really thought about it Armin had let her win, by one peanut.

_"What, an ass." _

_._

_._

_._

_She didn't want to join in, I could see it_

_She wanted to leave, that I could also see_

_When she thinks, she chews on the inside of her cheek_

_When she's annoyed, her eyes narrow instinctively_

_She debates with herself, I also notice_

_And despite her dislike of others_

_She can't say no to my offer_

_Why?_

_I'm not sure_

_But I'm glad _


	4. Bright Eyes

_Dear little girl_

_So much hurt_

_For such a young age_

_Trapped inside a pretty little lie_

_Your body has betrayed _

_-Anberlin; Soft Skeletons_

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:. Chapter 4 .:

Bright Eyes

Professor Hannes was a young teacher, with a young perspective on life. He was the English professor, and the Home Economics professor, and though he called himself _Professor Hannes _he didn't necessarily have the qualifications to be called a professor, everyone still did because _that's _how he introduced himself to _everyone. _When Annie had first entered her English class, he'd swung up by her side and swept her in whilst wearing a cape. She was, understandably confused and had almost punched him square in the face. When he had introduced himself to her, however she was glad she didn't. Apparently, and as Annie had learnt over time Professor Hannes had a knack for themes. That day, had been the theme of a protagonist, and the lesson? To write a story about two protagonists, one that goes absolutely ape shit and turns a_ntagonist _and the other remains as the protagonist.

Annie had written a poem, rather than a story and despite the complete lack of attention paid to the rules of the assignment, she received an A for not only effort but as Professor Hannes had put it _"Beautiful alignment, and meaningful wording."_

His class was the one she hated the least, mainly because she could get away with doing anything she wanted, and still get an A for just trying. Today however was not a day she favored this class over others. Professor Hannes was wearing 15th century clothing, and sporting a stupidly annoying accent as he screamed for an invisible Juliet. When he started handing out assignment rubrics and information, he was explaining what is to be done.

"A 25 page report on a classic novel chosen by you, there are certain requirements that need to be followed with this assignment –" He slapped a rubric down on Annie's desk, looking to her with a pointed look and small smile "-But other than these few rules, it's free reign people."

The novel _must _be a classic, AKA Romeo and Juliet, To kill a Mockingbird, Treasure Island ect…

The report _must _be 25 pages, how you get to those 25 pages is up to you and your brilliant mind.

The report must be written in comparison to real life experiences, whether yours or someone else's.

Annie had read a lot of books, when she was younger and wasn't training with her father she was in the library reading. He preferred her to read more mature books rather than fairytale 'jokes' as he had put them, but she read a variety despite his advice. She had read quite a bit in the institute, seeming there wasn't much else to do other than stare at a wall or get in arguments with mentally insane people, which usually ended in both parties isolated and drugged for a few days. When she was the in the home, she didn't read as much seeming there was a quite a few people who took pleasure in teasing others who read and then proceeding to ruin their books. Annie didn't bow to others in that house, nor did she step on the ones who did. But late at night, she would read a couple chapters of books that where brought in on new shipment when she couldn't sleep.

Despite all of this, Annie didn't have a love for books like some people and so she didn't normally remember titles, or authors or if any where _classics. _She didn't know the first thing about classic novels, and she sure as hell knew she probably couldn't relate to any of them. Annie had spent the rest of the day going over all her possibilities, she didn't want anyone's help seeming she wasn't that type of person, and though she could go search the internet for a book she didn't have a laptop nor internet at home seeming Mrs. Fubar was not able to pay for such a luxury, and doing all the research at school would just serve to make things difficult for Annie.

She needed a real classic novel to hold in her hands, and read, and do research _on. _So, she resulted to the only possibility she had considered from the beginning, she asked Mrs. Fubar for help.

"I'm not much of a reader dear, as a child I had a thing for art mainly. I couldn't really tell you of any classics if I tried; but I could direct you to someone who could help." With that, Annie received a name of an older man in town who owned a little book shop called the 'Book Nook.' Mrs. Fubar had informed Annie that the old man, Mr. Arlert was a genius when it came to anything book related, and had almost any book you could think of in his little shop. All the kids in town went there to find any books they needed for school, seeming there was no library and the school library was full of absolute shit books.

So, after school on Wednesday Annie made her way from Trost Secondary straight to the Book Nook, shoulder bag that Mrs. Fubar had done up just for Annie slung over her shoulder and coffee she'd picked up at a local café in hand she opened the door to the small building nestled in between a grocery store and realtor office, a little bell tinkling to announce her entrance. As soon as she walked inside she could smell salt and mint which was a strange mix of scents to say the least, but not quite unpleasant.

Beside her was an old oak counter, with an aging cash register that must have been at least sixty some years old, rusted and hard silver with curving lines spread out all over it. As she looked around herself, she noticed that almost everything in the book store looked old and antique like; she concluded she liked the sight.

She jumped in surprise when a fat orange tabby jumped up on the counter beside her, it meowed at her and she reached out on instinct to rub her knuckles over its head. The cat purred, leaning into her touch and she almost smiled.

"You like cats?" Annie pulled her hand away instantly, and to her ultimate surprise Armin walked behind the counter, a small smile adorning his features as he reached out to pet the cat. Annie just nodded, turning to face him.

"They're my favorite animals" and though she wasn't sure why she told him that, she found it be true.

"They're great, this one here is Asia."

"Like, the continent?" Annie asked incredulously, and Armin laughed nodding his head.

"Yeah, my parents brought him back from there years ago. He's not well trained seeming he only speaks Mandarin, as you can tell seeming he's not allowed on the counters." At that, Armin wrapped his arm around the cat and pulled him off, setting him back on the ground. "Anyway, what can I help you with?" He asked, looking back to Annie with an expectant look.

Shaking her head, Annie faltered before speaking again "I'm looking for a classic book." Armin laughed again, and she wondered what was with him and why he was so happy all the time.

"You're going to have to be a little more specific, there are _hundreds_ of classic books."

"I'm not sure; I just need one for an assignment." Annie elaborated, and Armin nodded in understanding.

"Ah, you're in Professor Hannes AP English class. There's already been a bunch of kids in here looking for classics, any genre in particular?" He asked, walking out from behind the counter and making his way towards the shelves upon shelves of books. Annie, though not too sure if she should followed after him.

"Something I can relate to, I guess." She muttered, shrugging a shoulder. Armin looked over his shoulder at Annie, a grin turning up the corner of his lips.

"Oliver Twist it is" and suddenly, he disappeared behind some bookshelves and Annie was standing alone in a _fucking _maze of literature. After a few moments of waiting awkwardly for him to return, Annie went searching and found herself deeper and deeper until she was looking at a shelf of dictionaries, all in different languages. Trailing her fingers along the spines, she picked one from the mass and began leafing through it. A small smile found its way up her face as she spotted words she knew all too well.

"You speak Dutch?"

"Jesus-" Annie jumped, dropping the dictionary and twirling around to come face to face with a smiling Armin, he blinked a couple times before kneeling to pick up the dictionary, dusting it off and returning it to the shelf.

"So, do you?"

"Do I what?"

"Speak Dutch?"

"Sort of" He nodded as if that was answer enough, and held out a book to her, clearly satisfied with his pick.

"Oliver Twist written by Charles Dickens, it's a really well known classic, and I think you'll find a lot to relate with, at least with the main character." Annie took the book from Armin's hand, and flipped it over a couple times before nodding her head.

"How much will it be?"

"On the house, you're a new customer."

"Are you sure you're allowed to do that?" Annie asked skeptically, she knew Armin had mentioned working in a book shop as an employee, she wasn't sure it was possible for him to give away free merchandise.

"Seeming my grandfather and I both own this store, and that's my own personal copy yes I'm sure."

"What's the book like?" Annie asked, as the two made their way back to the front of the store. Annie was sure to watch where they were going to be sure she would never get lost in here again.

"It's about an orphan boy named Oliver who grows up in an orphanage in the seventeen hundreds. He ends up getting kicked out and joins a band of rebels in London who teach him how to steal, and there's a lot more in it. But mainly, it's about a parentless child who tries to find their way in life."

"Why would _anyone _want to read a story about a parentless child?" Annie mumbled, as she grabbed her back she'd left on the counter at the front, and finished off her coffee before throwing it in a waste bin behind her. Armin shrugged a shoulder, smiling lightly.

"I learned to love it, I read this book when I took Professor Hanne's AP English class last year, and he gave us this assignment. I got an A, so good luck Annie."

Her walk home Annie had begun reading and when she got back to the house she retreated to her room and continued reading. After super and finishing her Science, she was already on chapter 10 and though she knew she should be taking notes, or stopping to go to sleep or work on other homework she should be jumping ahead in she couldn't. When finally her head hit her pillow that night and she had less than four chapters left of the book, Annie realized that Armin had shared a vital part of himself to her without her even realizing it.

Armin was parentless, and he thought she was too.

_._

_._

_._

_She understands_

_So much more_

_Then she lets on_

_She hurts_

_So much more_

_Then she lets through_

_She's damaged_

_Damaged but _

_With beautiful_

_Wonderful_

_Bright Eyes_


	5. Losing Control

_How did you get here?_

_And where did it start_

_An innocent child_

_With a thorn in her heart_

_-12 Stones; World So Cold _

.

.

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:. Chapter 5 .:

Losing Control

[Text From] Unknown

_How's the book? _

Annie rolled over in her bed as her phone buzzed, picking it up and furrowing her brows before she messaged back.

[Text From] Annie Leondhart

**Who's this? **

[Text From] Unknown

_Armin. _

[Text From] Annie Leondhart

**How'd you get my number? **

[Text From] Baby-Face

_Reiner, he said you wouldn't mind._

[Text From] Annie Leondhart

**Well, he lied. **

[Text From] Baby-Face

_I'm sorry, but really how's the book?_

[Text From] Annie Leondhart

**Finished it. **

Annie was ready to kill Reiner when she made it out of her bed and downstairs, but to her surprise both him and Bertholdt where gone to play basketball at the park [so said the note they'd left her] and she found herself alone in the house seeming Mrs. Fubar was at work, probably double shifting again like she normally did on weekends. The next few minutes resulted in Annie mindlessly venturing through the house until she finally became fed up with her inability to find something to do, and made her way into the front foyer. She pulled on a pair of running shoes that Mrs. Fubar had to buy her, _had _being the operative word. Mrs. Fubar had gone through all of Bertholdt's running shoes he'd had for school tracing all the way back to sixth grade, and even _then _they where too big for her feet. It frustrated Annie, how much Mrs. Fubar had to spend on her. She knew she didn't have as much money as she let on, and felt horrible every time she'd come home with something new for her.

Annie also pulled on a warm sweater, seeming fall was now descending on the small town of Trost and the leaves where already changing color, frost littering the ground every morning. Just to be sure she also twisted a scarf around her neck before making her way outside, locking the door behind her and shoving the house keys inside her pocket. Annie plugged in her ear phones, and pressed play on a shuffle play list.

She was fifteen minutes into her walk in a random direction she'd chosen when she felt a hand reach past her head and pull one of her ear buds out. Seeming A, this wasn't school and B her instincts where on hard drive Annie grabbed the hand by her face, twisting it upwards and spinning around only to forcefully turn the person so they're back was now facing her and their arm was painfully restrained behind their back.

"Ow, _fuck _Annie it's just me!" Pulling out her other ear bud with her free hand, Annie dropped the arm she'd been restraining instantly. Though she felt no remorse, she did feel slightly embarrassed. She knew how to take down a full grown man four times her size, but she never wanted that to become a reality to anyone she knew personally, or... semi-personally. Eren, who tended to be on the receiving end of Annie's outbursts, turned to face her with a grimace of pain crawling up his features.

"Sorry." She deadpanned, at that moment Armin came running up behind Eren, breath coming out in billowing puffs as he stopped at his friends side.

"What happened?" He asked, looking to Eren than to Annie with furrowed brows.

"Annie just tried to break my arm!" Annie scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I wouldn't have _broken_ it, you're just being a wimp." Instead of getting angry like she'd expected Eren grinned from ear to ear, still cradling his bad arm as he took a step forward.

"Can you teach me that?"

"No one's teaching you anything, Eren." Annie's eyes narrowed instinctively as Mikasa Ackerman, Eren's adopted sister walked up beside the other two finishing off their usual trio, school, public, it didn't matter. These three where _always _by each other's side. Mikasa nodded her head in Annie's general direction, and Annie just blinked in return.

"What are you doing today Annie?" Armin asked, as Eren turned to Mikasa with a whine of protest. Annie shrugged a shoulder.

"Just out for a walk" It was one of her favorite things to do, really. Just walk and think, and clear her head when she was thinking a little _too _much. She really liked fall as a season, and so she tended to get out more in those few months.

"Well we're all heading to Eren and Mikasa's, do you want to come?" At that Eren left the conversation he'd been having with Mikasa and joined in with Annie and Armin's, bouncing on the balls of his feet like an over-eccentric puppy.

"Yeah, we're going to go play some video games!" Annie was inclined to say no, after all she knew Mikasa didn't like her all that much and the idea of spending a morning watching two morons play video games wasn't too pleasing, but the blank expression adorning Mikasa's features told Annie she couldn't care less of the smaller girl's decision, Eren would _surely _pester and Armin would most _deffenitely _poke and prod until she decided she'd had enough and said yes to their offer. She knew this scheme all too well, because this is how the two boys had managed to drag Annie along to the Fall Fair earlier that month, after they came to grab Reiner and Bertholdt.

"C'mon Annie, it'll be fun." Annie had no clue what their definition of fun _was, _but she was particularly startled when Mikasa directly spoke to her for the first time since they'd met.

"I don't like Video Games either, but watching them can be pretty entertaining."

So, when she found herself sitting in Eren's living room, nursing a coke and listening to Eren curse because apparently Armin was good at _all_ games, including _video games_ she had to agree with Mikasa, this was fairly entertaining to watch. Mikasa sat beside her, and the two did nothing by stare at the TV screen or look around themselves awkwardly. Annie respected Mikasa if anything; she was a nice person, quiet and secluded. Her protective streak against Eren and Armin was incredibly annoying to more than just herself, but Mikasa was a little too stiff for Annie's _liking_. She obviously was the type of person to see in black and white, and judge by first impression. The first time Annie had met Mikasa was in gym class and she'd almost gotten into a fist fight with her after accidentally pegging her in the back of the head with a basketball. Well, it wasn't an accident when she was aiming it at Reiner's head, but the latter occurrence _was, _Annie hadn't expected Reiner to duck, seeming most the time he didn't think let alone think _fast. _She believed it was because he had a lack of oxygen as a baby, he however tended to throw things at her when she mentioned her theory.

Anyhow, ever since then, Mikasa took a great disliking towards Annie.

"Eren, Eren will you _please _rake up the leaves in the front yard they're going to kill my grass!" Annie jumped in surprise when she heard the voice travel down the staircase just outside the living room, turning her head in that general direction.

"It's almost winter mom, the grass is going to die anyway!" Eren called back.

"Eren Jaeger!"

"Yes mom-" Eren grumbled, pausing the game and standing up begrudgingly. He turned to Annie and Mikasa, smiling a bit before turning to Armin with an impish grin. "-You guys want to rake some leaves?"

Once outside, Annie was given a rake and an apologetic smile from Armin because she was _slightly _peeved at being asked to do chores at someone _else's _house. Though, she guessed it was the polite thing to do after being invited into someone's house, at least that's what she figured seeming she'd never been in this position before.

She began raking almost immediately, making her own little pile and swinging off into her own little world. After about ten minutes of silence, all hell broke loose, that being an understatement. It started with Eren kicking some leaves at Armin, and he kicked some back and soon it turned into a full out leaf war between all three of the friends.

Annie stood off in the corner, doing her damned best not to get involved as she continued raking up her section of the yard; this didn't last however, when Eren came over to her as Mikasa and Armin got into it and he grabbed the rake from her. Annie was inclined to beat him with it, but refrained from doing so as he gently gripped her elbow walking her over to Armin and Mikasa, he let go of her knelt down and picked up a pile of leaves, and with a small laugh dropped them on Annie's head. It was such a simple, calm action and Annie couldn't help but find herself smiling, it was the smallest smile, hardly there, and if you weren't looking you'd completely miss it.

In the end she couldn't stop herself when Mikasa laughed slightly, she couldn't stop herself from picking up her own pile and tossing it at Mikasa. She couldn't stop from joining in, from picking leaves up and dropping them on heads, from dropping them down the back of Eren's shirt, she couldn't help but just _laugh _when Eren tackled Armin and Mikasa tackled Eren and Annie found herself tripping over Mikasa's legs and falling down herself and before long all four of them where laying in a pile of leaves that had once been perfectly raked, breathing heavy and just _smiling._

They laid in a circle, head to head. She looked over blinking a few times as Armin reached towards her, and she had to force herself not to stop him as he pulled a leaf out of her hair. Despite her restraint, she had to look away as a drop in her stomach told her she was embarrassed and turning red; which was a strange, _strange _feeling for her. She could feel his eyes watching her, they bore into the back of her head but she refused to look sideways, rather she stared up and cloud gazed for the next few minutes until she checked the time on her ipod, the clock blinking at her and telling her it was time for her to go home.

She sat up then, bidding them all a good bye before leaving. Bertholdt and Reiner where probably home by now, cooking supper and she wasn't going to wait around to be invited to stay for supper at Eren's house, because despite her incredible self-restraint that she prided herself on day to day, she found herself slipping from character around them, around A_rmin _and she wasn't sure she liked it all that much.

[Text From] Baby-face

_So what did you think of the book? _

[Text From] Annie Leondhart

**You were right.**

[Text From] Baby-Face

_About? _

[Text From] Annie Leondhart

**I did relate. **

"So where were you today Annie?" Reiner asked, a small smile crawling its way up his face as he sat down across from her, she was curled up on the parlor couch, re-reading Oliver Twist. Bertholdt was up at the stove, cooking some Macaroni and Cheese for supper, but the slight incline in his head told her he was listening and curious.

"I was with Eren, Armin and Mikasa." Because there was no point in lying, she had nothing to hide.

"You've taken a liking to that Armin kid hu?"

"No, what makes you say that?" Bertholdt went to go grab the strainer, a small sigh passing his lips as Reiner continued his interrogation, forcing Annie to look away from her book and pay attention to him, which only served to irk her already fading patience with him.

"He asked for your number."

"I know, I'm going to kill you for that by the way."

"Ah, whatever you'll thank me later."

Annie wondered why Reiner was so keen on making her angry; after all she didn't have a _liking _towards anyone, let alone a baby-faced, too cheery book worm. Sure she enjoyed the Book Nook as a store, and on _occasion_ she liked hanging around Armin because he was smart and easy to talk to, and not idiotic like most she knew. She did _not _have friends, she had people she knew. Eren was too eccentric, Mikasa disliked her and she scared the majority of the grade ten Trost Secondary class, and she knew all too well that she was more of a figure that stood off on the sidelines, only occasionally jumping into the action, so what was the point in reacting to his words, and why did she? She didn't know.

"Yeah, sure" She snapped, standing up quickly before throwing her book onto the couch; not even bothering to mark her page as she stormed off to her bedroom in something of a fit.

"Good going Reiner." She heard Bertholdt mutter.

"How was I supposed to know she's touchy?"

.

.

.

_There's this laugh_

_So beautiful_

_And though I could not hear it_

_I could see it_

_Chiming on the inside_

_As she finally found herself_

_Welcome in our arms_


	6. Shopping Trip

_I keep searching for something_

_That I never seem to find_

_But maybe I won't_

_Because I left it all behind _

_-Hollywood Undead; Hear Me Now_

.

.

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:. Chapter 6 .:

Shopping Trip

The mall, Annie found was incredibly boring. She watched Reiner try on hats –snapbacks, baseball; it didn't seem to matter, at a pretentious looking store called _Lidz; _was forced to help both Reiner _and _Bertholdt choose a new video game for them to beat in one damn night because those two had an incredibly irregular sleeping schedule. Yet there was a highlight of the day, a Coffee Shop the two had introduced the smaller blond to. It was small, and wedged in between _The Gap, _and some antique store that smelt of varnished wood. It had four tables; completely void of any bodies seeming most stepped in, ordered their coffee and left soon after.

Reiner and Bertholdt where going to follow the flow, but Annie refused and forced the both of them to sit down with her. All of their coffee's, and Reiner's sandwich where delivered directly to them, and Annie just found herself staring at the large aquarium full of colorful fish hanging on the wall opposite to her. She didn't know why, she never really did but when things went too fast she became uncomfortable. Beside her, Reiner was fidgeting obviously wanting to shop, Bertholdt was bored and pulling the cap off his coffee only to replace it, repeatedly. Annie was content, just sitting, and watching, she'd always been that way, even if there was nothing interesting to look at, or to witness it was _comforting. _

"Can we go now?" Reiner asked, looking to Annie pointedly.

"Go on, I can stay here."

"We can't just _leave _you here, Annie." Bertholdt commented, chugging the last bit of his coffee before tossing it in the waste bin by the counter, Annie quirked a brow challengingly.

"Sure you can, it's easy. You stand up, one foot in front of the other, and you'll find yourself leaving me."

"Smart ass" Reiner muttered, grabbing his half-eaten sandwich before standing up. Bertholdt followed reluctantly, but Annie's obvious disinterest in their shopping plans seemed to make up his mind as he bid her a small goodbye, and trailed away behind Reiner.

Ten minutes hardly passed by, and Annie hadn't even finished her coffee when to her ultimate surprise Mikasa joined her at her table. "They're everywhere-" Annie exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air and positioning herself so she was facing a blank-faced Mikasa, who just shrugged a shoulder in response.

"Small town"

"Yeah, I'm getting that." Annie added, taking a sip of her coffee as she waited for Mikasa to say something, possibly explain what had possessed her to take a seat with someone she didn't even like. "Where are Eren and Armin?" Annie didn't even bother asking if they were with her, from what she could gather Mikasa never left the house unless one, or both of the boys where by her side. Which, Annie laughed inwardly, was kind of funny seeming she hardly ever left the house unless Reiner or Bert where with her, strange how that worked out.

"Video store, most likely or at the food court." Annie nodded her head, initiating an inward battle with herself, bail or don't bail. "I ditched them, they can get seriously boring. Where are Reiner and Bertholdt?" Though she said it with a straight face, Annie knew Mikasa was getting at something with that comment.

"Probably looking for more video games to buy to play at insane hours of the night." Annie stated simply, Mikasa mirrored Annie's prior head nod. They sat like that for another five; maybe ten minutes before Mikasa spoke up, cutting through Annie's thoughts.

"There's a dance coming up in a month and a bit, at school. You've obviously seen the posters, the winter formal?" Annie shook her head, she hadn't seen posters. Mainly because she was much too disinterested, but currently now that _the _Mikasa Ackerman, who could beat up a boy just as well as Annie could, who was the top Kendo student at school was talking about a _dance, _her interest was slightly piqued. "Well, anyway Eren and Armin asked if I would go in a group with them, and I said yes. But I don't have a dress."

Annie was appalled, to start with. Mainly because she wasn't quite sure if Mikasa was asking if Annie had a dress, which _no, _she definitely didn't, or if she was asking her help in which case, Annie was shocked as hell to hear something like that come from Mikasa Ackerman's mouth

"Are you asking for my help?" Annie inquired, cocking a questioning brow.

"I'm not _asking _you to help me, Leonhardt. If I was looking for help I'd ask Christa, or Sasha." A little harsh, but Annie let it roll off her back as she cocked both brows now in a simple, obvious question. "I'm dragging you along with me whether you like it or not because girls don't go shopping alone, and you're the only one who I know who would honestly tell me if something would look good on me or not."

"So you're asking me to help you?" Annie pushed again, a small smirk curling the corner of her lips now.

"_No, _I'm-"

"Just say it Ackerman, like poison in your mouth I know."

_"Fine-_" Annie watched as Mikasa struggled with the words, and was more than pleased to hear her actually say them "_-I need your help." _

It had been an hour and a half of searching before Annie actually found a dress shop she didn't hate, and could actually get Mikasa to step foot in. Annie refused to help Mikasa pick dresses out, and would only watch as she tried them on. Mikasa had picked a rack full of black dresses, refusing to try on any other color and though Annie disliked most dresses she tried on, the fourth from last was okay. It was simple silk, completely black with royal blue sequence. It had a low cut, but not low enough to make either Annie or Mikasa uncomfortable and it reached to just above Mikasa's ankles.

Through the half hour and so spent watching Mikasa trying on dresses Annie didn't quite mind the process. As a kid, she never had the opportunity to go shopping with friends, or even with a mother. It was her father who always brought clothes home for her, she never played dress up, never learnt how to apply makeup or how to follow the latest trends like most girls at school tended to do, _especially _Mina… Annie sighed shaking her head, propping up a foot on one of the plush benches set up for shoppers stuck watching people try things on, she forced the thoughts out of her head as soon as they'd come, focusing on the posters littered around the store instead.

After everything was said and done, the fourth from last was the chosen dress and Annie was finally able to leave the hell hole Mikasa had dragged her into. However, her hopes and dreams where lost as Armin and Eren came barreling into the store, straight past Annie and directly towards Mikasa.

"What dress did you get?"

"Wow, you actually got one?"

"What color?"

"Holy Christ, leave her alone." Annie barked, coming around a sales rack to stand at Mikasa's side, she was smiling under her red scarf that she'd pulled up over her mouth Annie noticed, and both boys looked to Annie with surprise.

"What're you doing here?" Armin asked, and Annie shot him a look.

"Shopping for a dress"

"Are you really?"

"No." But for a second she swore he looked hopeful.

"You're not going to the winter formal?" Eren asked curiously, and Annie just shook her head.

"Not going to happen." Before the two, including Mikasa could begin hounding her about the topic Annie slung her bag over her shoulder and made her way out of the store. As soon as she passed through the archway out into the main part of the mall, Armin came swinging out, watching her leave for a moment before speaking up.

"Hey, Annie what if I asked you to go with me?" He called after her; Annie turned her whole body towards him as she walked backwards towards one of the many front entrances.

"Maybe in another lifetime, Armin!"

But she could've sworn she was about to say yes.

.

.

.

_I should've been discouraged_

_Hurt_

_Maybe even a little jaded_

_Instead, I felt enlightened_

_Amused_

_And ready to try again_

* * *

_**A/N: **Alright Time to answer some questions~ _

**Tentsubasa; You're so great for reviewing on every chapter, thank you so much! I want to also thank you for catching all my mistakes, my head is just a jumbled mess half the time so it's really appreciated! Annie is actually the exact same age as Armin, both are sixteen but Armin took an AP English class with Prof. Hannes in grade nine because he transferred to Trost a year and some before, which will be explained further in later chapters and the system didn't have room for any more students in grade nine math, so they stuck him in an extra English class a year ahead, and over the summer he finished his grade nine math, so he's a year ahead in English. I hope that explains the whole age situation! **

**AnshL; Thank you so much for your review, and kind words! I like to think Annie is a fast adapter, but I also like to think she fluctuates. We all have moments where we want to be a part of something, and so due to human nature Annie tends to fall under that influence. As the story goes on I'm confident you'll see her mood swings, and highs and lows and etc... It's just all in the way I wrote her character, strange and slightly OOC but I'm glad you like the way I portray Armin! He's timid, yes but certainly not shy or a blushing mess. I like to think he has an attitude, and is much smarter beyond his years. It sort of links with Annie, because she was forced to think far beyond her years, and they just sort of click you know? **

**Thank you for all the support, and just so you guys know I've written up to Chapter 22 so updates, will of course_ be frequent! _**


	7. Sanctuary

_The human heart had hidden treasures_

_In secret kept, in silence sealed;_

_The thoughts, the hopes, the dreams, the pleasures, _

_Whose charms were broken if revealed_

_-Charlotte Bronte, "Evening Solace" _

.

.

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:. Chapter 7 .:

Sanctuary

Annie didn't believe it, couldn't believe it. She'd been told her whole life; from the time she was nine on that she was _different_. They said different, but they meant something so much more than just _different_. They meant, crazy, insane, they meant she was the biggest fucking lunatic and all because she insisted she _wasn't_. Her time locked away in the institute was the hardest, when she was young she'd tell herself she was a princess held hostage in a tower, awaiting the day her prince charming would come to her rescue. The Prince never came, the dragon that guarded her day and night laughed in her face, and she found herself sinking deeper and deeper into the darkness.

They'd tell her if she stopped denying the inevitable, she'd escape but there was no inevitable to deny. She wasn't crazy; it was all a stupid mistake. It took her years upon years to actually come to terms with who she was, with who she'd become. All because that damn prince charming decided he didn't want to waste his time saving a princess, he must have heard she was crazy.

She coped as best she could; she actually talked to her therapists instead of spitting in their faces, most of the time at least because if they became too comfortable and started pushing buttons that was something she couldn't tolerate. She took her medication without fighting, and found herself slowly crawling out of the hole she'd dug and fell into, like Alice in Wonderland without the colorful aspect.

They let her go, and then she was inside the crowded home. This was the place she'd developed a hatred for people, and their petty stupid behavior. Where she took her father's lessons and put them to use. These people where what she didn't want to be, pathetic and alone with nothing to look forward to. Though she herself had nothing to look forward to her, and was certainly alone she would not fall to their level and become pathetic.

She had episodes for a few years, sometimes they'd be violent other times silent, either way she knew she couldn't allow herself to live her whole life like this so she suppressed, she worked towards getting better and finally found herself in a situation that was healthy, and then she found herself a home…

Three years and she hadn't a single episode, three years and she'd been deemed fit for a foster home.

Three years, and at the end of the third year everything went to shit.

It was a Tuesday, it was in Gym, and it was all because Jean Kirschtein decided it'd be a good idea to wear his Halloween costume to school. The word horrifying couldn't even begin to describe Annie's reaction, seeing the grotesque mask and the long fingernails that protruded from those stupid gloves she was reminded of the nightmares, of the gruesome deaths and the smell of blood, the metallic scent of _her _blood, or _their _blood because she was a monster, a monster who'd attacked the only man she'd ever loved, the only _person _she'd ever loved…

She found herself incarcerated, and though she knew she didn't _want _to return she had no choice. Miss Ral had showed up, had taken notes, had asked Annie the only question she knew would define the next few hours here in this hospital that smelt of antiseptic, and death.

_"Have you been taking your medication?" _

_ "Yes." _

It was not a lie, but Miss Ral had checked anyway and returned with a smile, telling Annie it would be okay. Annie was terrified, she did not want to go back to the crowded home, but she couldn't go back to school after what she did, after how many people saw her _morph _into something so embarrassing, so horrible…

For the first time in forever, Annie found herself crying.

Mrs. Fubar had come to see her, and she found herself crying in her arms. Mrs. Fubar told her she'd be coming back home with her, _home, strange she'd never thought of it like that until now. _

After a few days of testing, Annie did find herself back at home in her bed. Reiner had even brought her all her homework she'd missed, and Bertholdt had helped her through most of it seeming she'd missed most lessons, and despite her embarrassment, despite her fear that drove her to near insanity every night she sat alone, staring at the ceiling she felt like she could trust these people more than she ever realized.

On the seventh day, she found herself in the Book Nook, petting Asia and sitting in a bean bag chair. Mr. Arlert had informed her that Armin was not here, but he should return before the store was to close, and even so he reassured Annie she could stay as long as she needed. She guessed this was what it was like to have a friend, because Armin had so obviously informed his grandfather of Annie and though she knew most people in this small town was aware of her condition, of her _illness _by now she knew that if Armin had told his grandfather to allow her more access to the Book Nook than anyone else that he did not think down on her as she had thought everyone would.

When he returned it was well past dark, and he stood in the doorway of the Book Nook, eyes clouded in confusion before he made his way over to Annie, sitting down cross legged in front of her and because of the height difference they were eye to eye.

"Hey." Annie let out the breath she was unaware that she was holding, nodding her head.

"Hi."

"Need a book?"

"No, you're grandfather went to bed by the way."

"Well, he'd old." Annie snorted, nodding her head once more. They sat in silence, a silence Annie found comforting but apparently Armin decided it was time to add a little more to the silence before it _did_ turn awkward. He stood, and disappeared behind the counter, which Annie found he was incredibly good at doing in here; disappearing that is.

When he returned, he returned with a large book that looked rather new. He sat down beside Annie this time, and Asia curled up in between their feet. He set the book down on his lap, opening it up and flipping through paper thin pages. "I've been going through tabs of all the students from TS, and yours showed up as mostly poetry. We just got this book in, and my first thought was that you would love it."

_"I wish you to know that you have been the last dream of my soul…. Since I knew you, I have been troubled by a remorse that I thought would never reproach me again, and have heard whispers from old voices impelling me upward, that I thought were silent forever. I have had unformed ideas of striving afresh, beginning anew, shaking off sloth and sensuality, and fighting out the abandoned fight. A dream, all a dream that ends in nothing…." _

"Charles dickens, A Tale of Two Cities a good story" Annie sighed, trailing her fingers over the paragraph. It was funny to her, how the writing was clearly written as poetry but Armin had just informed her in that instant that it was, in fact a full novel.

"I want to write like that-" Annie found herself choking down her words before she could finish the sentence, but Armin had obviously heard because he was looking at her with this look, a look she couldn't quite place. She found it rather disgusting when people spewed off their dreams, as if they'd all come true one day and she had just acted as the world's biggest hypocrite after speaking of her own dream, because it was true, she did want to write like that, one day but she knew it would never be a reality. Because just as Charles dickens had said, it is all a dream that ends in nothing.

"Then share thy pain, allow that sad relief; Ah, more than share it! Give me all thy grief." Armin spoke, looking to Annie with a small smile as he flipped some more pages of the book "Alexander Pope, Eloisa to Abelard." Annie couldn't help but smile inwardly, leafing through the book as her eyes scanned the words and their meanings.

"I am tired of tears and laughter, and men that laugh and weep of what might come hereafter. For men that sow to reap: I am weary of days and hours, blown buds of barren flowers, desires and dreams and powers, and everything but sleep." Annie looked to Armin, finger sliding across the words as she read before landing on sleep "Swinburne." At that moment, Annie found her eyes locked with Armin's, and no matter how much her conscious told her to look away she remained where she was, just staring.

But her phone rang, and both jumped. Annie reached into her pocket, pulling it out and putting it up to her ear. "Hello?"

"Oh dear, Annie it's almost midnight where are you!"

"I am so sorry Mrs. Fubar, I had no idea. I'm at the Book Nook with Armin, I'll be home soon." Annie got a few words from Mrs. Fubar about telling her where she was if she was staying out this late before apologizing once more and hanging up. Armin stood then, closing the book and bringing it back to the counter. Annie made it to the front door before turning around, and for the first time in a long time [she'd been having a lot of first times in a long time's lately] she smiled, a small smile but still a smile.

"Thanks Armin, see you at school tomorrow."

And as she walked out, she swore she could've heard him reply with his own thank you, though she didn't quite know why because she'd done nothing in particular, really.

.

.

.

_Her words are hard_

_Her eyes are soft_

_Her heart is broken_

_And god do I ever want_

_To be the one_

_To mend it to perfection_

_But all I can offer_

_Is Sanctuary_

* * *

**A/N: **Hey guys! I'm throwing another update in your general direction, and putting your awesometastic minds at ease!

**Tentsubasa; I understand what you're saying, but I'm putting Armin in a position I myself was put in. I was offered grade eleven AP English when they had absolutely no room left for me in a grade nine class because I moved provinces and the rules to graduate where completely different. I skipped my grade nine math and took an extra year of English so now I'm in grade eleven with a spare, and taking grade twelve law. This is because the credit system I've decided to follow in this particular story is the one i'm going through currently, and credits don't count until grade ten. So due to lack of seniors in AP classes, seeming grade nine's AREN'T considered seniors yet they took him off math for a year and stuffed him in an AP English class with a couple spots left open. I'm hoping this makes sense! **

**Left-To-Die; I'm so glad you like the story, and I apologize for the way the previous chapters where written, I try to reach out to all types of writing styles and recently I've been mixing and mashing and it either turns out awesome or the complete opposite, so it's probably not just you! aha ^^; Thanks for your review your support means a lot!**


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